1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to storage and display systems for containers holding cremation ashes or remains. In particular, the present invention relates to a columbarium system that is compact, modular and expandable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cremation of the remains of humans and animals, such as pets, has become increasingly popular in the recent years. For social, economic and religious reasons, people have turned to cremation of the remains of a deceased as an acceptable alternative to preservation and burial of the remains. Whether the remains of a deceased are preserved and buried or cremated, traditionally, there is a time honored need for memorialization of the deceased. Memorialization provides a visual symbol that functions as a reminder of the deceased. In most cases, this visual symbol is simply a location where the remains of an individual are afforded a physical resting place that can be identified by name and dates. Most families find that a memorial, regardless of its size, serves a basic human need to remember and to be remembered. Notwithstanding the foregoing, preparation of a deceased's remains by cremation, as with traditional burial, is simply one step in the memorialization process. Once a deceased's remains have been cremated, the final disposition of the cremated remains and the memorial selected for the remains must be selected. Such memorials are varied and numerous.
Of course, one time honored tradition is to simply spread the remains in a location of significance to the deceased, such as a garden. In such cases, a plaque, tree, or similar reminder may be utilized as a visual symbol to remember the deceased. For remains that are contained in a permanent container, such as an urn, one option is to inter the remains in a burial chamber or family plot. Cemeteries often permit the interment of cremated remains of more than one person in a single adult space. Burial chambers are desirable in cases where casketed remains are to be interred with cremated remains.
Another option for the memorialization of cremated remains is an urn garden or similar location specifically designed for the interment of cremated remains. Even with cremation, some desire ground or above-ground interment where a marker can be placed.
Still yet another option for the memorialization of cremated remains is in a columbarium. A columbarium is an indoor or outdoor wall containing niches or recessed compartments in which urns are placed. Columbariums of the prior art are permanent structures that typically range in size from entire buildings to individuals walls. Such walls may be incorporated in rooms, chambers, alcoves, mausoleums, chapels or similar structures or may be freestanding. The niches of columbariums typically come in many sizes to accommodate the numerous and varied selection of urns that are available. Some niches are capable of containing two or more urns, such as for families. Niche coverings may be glass, marble, bronze, mosaic, granite or the like.
One drawback to columbariums of the prior art is that they are fixed structures that are generally installed at the time of creation of the larger memorial. In this regard, the number of niches available is limited and expansion requires significant structural changes. For example, one of the most famous columbariums originally built in 1897 is the Columbarium on Loraine Court in San Francisco. The ornate structure was fixed in size and niche capacity and now requires new construction to add on wings for additional niches. In this same vein, these traditional columbarium systems are not easily installed, and once installed, are permanent in nature and cannot be relocated or moved. Likewise, fixed construction is typically expensive. Furthermore, since traditional columbariums are designed for their particular environment, indoor columbarium designs are not generally suitable for outdoor use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a modular columbarium system that is flexible in construction, capacity, shape and look. Such a modular system would be easily expandable to meet increased capacity needs. While the system should be stable and secure when assembled, such a system should be readily capable of disassembly, transport and reassembly as desired.
Such a modular system should be configurable as necessary to accommodate various space requirements, whether installed as a free-standing wall or installed in even small spaces such as unused alcoves and the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a columbarium system that is configured in an efficient manner such that a greater volume of cremation urns can be stored in the modular system than in the prior art columbarium systems.
It is also desirable that such a modular system should be capable of installation either indoors or outdoors.
These, and other, objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear after careful consideration is given to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment.